Fresh Michigan Produce: Beets, Greens and Asparagus!

I LOVE summer!  And I love being in Michigan in the summer.  This week's farmers market purchases included fresh Michigan asparagus and beets with beautiful greens!  I also found candy cane onions and garlic scapes.  But this post is about the first group of produce.  I needed to find a way to use those beet greens before I leave for my conference, so I took a look at what I could do with those and my CSA eggs.  What I found was a strata recipe that sounded very yummy.  I had pancetta in the freezer, so I thawed that to use for flavoring.  I also had a loaf of beautiful Italian sourdough that I really need to use before I go as well.  By combining these items with my CSA eggs and a queso quesadilla cheese, I came up with a beautiful strata.

The beets and the asparagus, I roasted.  I will put the directions for each further down in this post.  I just adore fresh summer vegetables and cannot wait to start receiving my Harvest Share the week after returning from my conference.  It will make teaching summer semester much more bearable ;).

Beet Green Strata

• 3 slices herb pancetta, diced
• 1 bunch beet greens**
• 1/2 loaf (about 3 cups) Italian Sourdough bread, broken into bite-sized pieces
• 1 cup 1% milk
• 3 large farm fresh eggs*
• 1 cup queso quesadilla cheese
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• salt & pepper, to taste

Wash beet greens by placing in a large bowl with water.  Change water several times to ensure removal of all grit.  Cut stems from leaves and cut into 1/2" pieces.  Layer the leaves and cut into 1/2" strips.  Set aside.  Heat large skillet over medium heat.  Add pancetta to pan and cook until browned.  Remove pancetta from pan and set aside.  Add beet green stems and mix with pancetta drippings. Cook about 4 minutes or until the are just starting to get tender.  Add the greens, a portion at a time, and cook until just wilted.  Add a splash of water, cover, and cook 2-3 more minutes or until stems are soft.  Add cooked pancetta, half the chees and bread cubes.  Mix well and then pour into a 13 x 9 baking pan.  In a medium bowl, beat eggs and milk with salt and pepper to taste, until custard consistency.  Sprinkle remaining cheeses over filling and then carefully pour egg mixture over the filling.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight.  In the morning, warm casserole to room temperature.  Preheat oven to 350F.  Bake strata for 40-45 minutes until the top is brown and bubbly. 

*Middleton Farms CSA ingredients
*Farmers market ingredients

Roasted Beets and Asparagus

• 1 bunch beets*
• 1 bunch Michigan asparagus*

Preheat oven to 400F.

Scrub beets and remove tops.  Place in a baking dish with a splash of water.  Roast, covered, for 45 minutes.  When beets are done, you should be able to pierce them with a knife without resistance.  Remove from dish and cool enough to handle.  Using a paper towel, slip the skins from the beets (they skins should just slide off).  Cut into wedges and place in a bowl.  Sprinkle with olive oil and basalmic vinegar; mix well.

Break woody ends off asparagus (hold at either end and bend.  The woody end should break off).  Place in a ziploc bag.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Shake bag to coat evenly.  Place asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Roast for 8 minutes.  Remove the pieces that area cooked (the thinner ones) and turn the remaining pieces.  Roast for another 5 minutes.  Check to see if the thickest pieces are cooked.  Remove to a plate and serve.

*Farmers market ingredients